Municipal Pre-Budget Submission 2021

MUNICIPAL PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021 THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION

MUNICIPAL PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021

TRANSIT

AREA RATING

Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should phase out transit area rating.

In 2001, City Council passed a motion to implement an area rating system for Transit, Fire, Culture and Recreation1. Since then, City Council has eliminated area rating for all services except transit, and Hamilton is the only municipality in Ontario that uses an area rating system for transit2. Public transit is an essential transportation system that residents rely upon to travel to work and school and perform everyday errands. The area rating system has stunted HSR growth in Hamilton and serves as a barrier for many residents, including students. Eliminating area rating would allow for a fairer, more effective transit system and contribute to long-term ridership growth.

By taxing different rates for different wards, area rating prevents meaningful transit investment across the city that is necessary to grow ridership. The HSR (Re)envision project found in the 2019 survey that the five most important possible improvements to the HSR included decreased wait times and better bus connections, reduced trip time, and expanded service area coverage3. The area rating system also does not match the reality that residents rely upon transit to travel through different wards even though they pay a rate specific to the service level in ‘their’ ward. Improving transit in one ward benefits anyone from any ward who uses the bus service in that area. If area rating were eliminated, the city will be able to invest in and plan public transit as an integrated service that serves all Hamilton residents.

Further, an integrated and effective transit service across Hamilton is important to retain students. In the 2018 MSU Your City Survey, close to 60% of students indicated that a community that is easy to get around and does not have long commute times is very important to them (6 or 7 rating on a 7 point scale)4. It is also necessary to connect employees and customers to businesses. The Hamilton Economic Report 2019 from the “Area Rating.” Environment Hamilton, Environment Hamilton, www.environmenthamilton.org/arearating Ibid.

3 Eldeeb, Gamar, Connor Nikel, Mark Ferguson, and Moataz Mohamed. Service Quality and Consumers Preferences for Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) Executive Summary. Report. Engineering, McMaster University. October 2019. https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/ filestream.ashx?DocumentId=215136 4 Your City Survey 2018, McMaster Student Union. (Unpublished) 1

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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION Hamilton Chamber of Commerce found that one in four respondents rated existing public transit service as “poor” when asked whether the current transportation infrastructure is able to meet organizational needs5. At the Jan 24 2020 General Issues Committee meeting, Ron McKerlie, President of Mohawk College, sent a delegation to the General Issues Committee stating that the current system poses a barrier for workers to fill vacant entry-level position and asking the city to reconsider the area rating system6.

The delegation stated that “one of the enablers of economic growth and city-building is efficient and reliable public transit7.

The Hamilton Economic Report 2019 from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce found that one in four respondents rated existing public transit service as “poor” when asked whether the current transportation infrastructure is able to meet organizational needs

Three alternatives to the current system were presented at the Feb 25th 2020 Transit Area Subcommittee: 1) Moving the transit budget to the general levy, 2) Mixed approach (50% general levy, 50% area-rated), 3) Urban/rural split8. The MSU believes that City Council should immediately implement one of the three models, and work towards moving the transit budget to the general levy (option 1) if option 2 or 3 is chosen. We also believe the City should re-consider the use of area-rating reserve funds towards improving transit infrastructure outside of their currently designated wards to work towards improved service across the city.

5 Hamilton Economic Report. Report. Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. May 2019. https://www.hamiltonchamber.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2019/05/HER-4.pdf 6 General Issues Committeee. Correspondence from Mohawk College. By Ron McKerlie. Hamilton: City of Hamilton, Jan 24 2020. https:// pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=215140 7 Ibid 8 Transit Area Rating Review Sub-Committee. Transit Area Rating Methodology Review FCS19094 – Presentation. Hamilton: City of Hamilton, Feb 25 2020. https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=219558

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10 YEAR LOCAL TRANSIT STRATEGY Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should resume Year 5 of the 10 Year Local Transit Strategy to ensure long-term ridership growth and improved transit service.

In June, the City of Hamilton Public Works Committee postponed Year 5 of Hamilton’s 10 Year Local Transit Strategy in light of the financial uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision was made considering the health risks posed by COVID, the challenges of purchasing new buses and training operators, and the significant loss in fare revenue9.

However, prior to the COVID pandemic, Year 3 and Year 4 of the 10 Year Local Transit Strategy saw ridership growth for the HSR. Year 5 is a pivotal year in the longterm strategy to continue growth and modal split targets10. Despite decreases in ridership since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of pass-bys has steadily increased, indicating there is still a demand for public transit. Essential workers especially rely upon public transit, but the June 2020 city staff report notes that transit is key to economic growth and employment and generally “increases equity and the freedom to move”11.

Residents need reliable, accessible and convenient transit now and during a COVIDrecovery more than ever.

It is important to continue investing in the 10 Year Local Transit Strategy to continue the momentum of ridership growth and the long-term targets of the strategy. The HSR (Re)envision project that frequent reliable service is the most important factor in customer satisfaction and drawing new customers12. If customers are lost during this period because the HSR is not reliable, they may not ever return. The city must continue investment in the ten-year strategy so that current customers are retained and the gains the HSR has made will not be a lost.

While the decision to postpone Year 5 of the 10 Year Local Transit Strategy was reasonable given the uncertainty posed by the first few months of the pandemic, the City may not be able to afford to delay further. The MSU believes that the City should create plans to resume Year 5 in 2021 that account for and explore potential solutions to the current concerns of training staff, upgrading transit vehicles, and capacity limits.

Public Works Committee. Postponement of Year 5 of the 10 Year Local Transit Strategy (PW14015(c)) (City Wide). By Jason Vanderheide. Hamilton: City of Hamilton, June 17 2020. https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=225603 10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 General Issues Committee. Public Works Transit 2020 Operating Budget Presentation. Hamilton: City of Hamilton, Jan 24 2020. https:// pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=215137 9

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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION

POLICE BUDGET REALLOCATION Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should reduce the Hamilton Police Services budget by at least 20% and re-allocate funding to community supports and social services.

During this year, cities around the world were called on by activists to recognize the systemic racism, violence, and oppression embedded in their police services. Hamilton was no exception, as both City Council and the Hamilton Police Services Board received hundreds of letters and delegations from citizens calling to defund the Hamilton police1.

Defunding the police involves reducing the police budget and reallocating funds to social services such as mental health services, affordable housing, and addictions support2.

Given that the Hamilton Police Services Budget (HPS) was $171.5 million in 2020–which is $648 per household and much higher than many other city services–it is essential to listen to residents’ concerns about the budget size. The McMaster Student Union supports a minimum 20% reduction in the budget of the Hamilton Police Services (HPS) that should be reallocated for the provision of social services in the city.

the Hamilton Police Services Budget (HPS) was $171.5 million in 2020–which is $648 per household and much higher than many other city services

Black and Indigenous peoples are disproportionately overrepresented in Canada’s criminal justice system and in incidents of police violence3. In 2020, an Ontario Human Rights Commission report found that Black people are “more likely than others to be arrested, charged, over-charged, struck, shot or killed by Toronto police”3 and Indigenous inmates were revealed to comprise 1/3 of Canadian prison populations4. Hamilton Police have demonstrated a concerning record, with 44% of victims of police-caused deaths in 1 ‘Defunding’ the police is a poor slogan for ideas worth investigating.” HamiltonNews.com. September 14, 2020. https://www. hamiltonnews.com/opinion-story/10187388--defunding-the-police-is-a-poor-slogan-for-ideas-worth-investigating/ 2 Black Lives Matter – Canada. “Defund the Police – Demands.” BLM – Canada. https://blacklivesmatter.ca/defund-the-police/ 3 “New OHRC report confirms Black people disproportionately arrested, charged, subjected to use of force by Toronto police.” Ontario Human Rights Commission. August 10, 2020. http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/new-ohrc-report-confirms-black-peopledisproportionately-arrested-charged-subjected-use-force 4 Office of the Correctional Investigator. “Indigenous People in Federal Custody Surpasses 30% Correctional Investigator Issues Statement and Challenge.” Government of Canada. January 21, 2020. https://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/cnt/comm/press/press20200121-eng. aspx

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MUNICIPAL PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021 the last 10 years being Black or racialized people, which is higher than the corresponding demographic proportions of the city population5. Another troubling area has been the HPS’s treatment of protestors: Black Lives Matter protestors were threatened with charges this summer for painting a roadway, and an independent review found that Hamilton Police failed to protect Hamilton Pride attendees from violent, far-right protestors at the 2019 festival 6, 7. Furthermore, the HPS has a history of problematic practices, including their defence of carding, which was disproportionately conducted on black Hamiltonians.

[8] Overall, the HPS have repeatedly failed to serve marginalized and vulnerable communities in the city.

an independent review found that Hamilton Police failed to protect Hamilton Pride attendees from violent, far-right protestors at the 2019 festival

Cities like Austin, Texas have taken on the call to reimagine policing seriously by reallocating one third of their police budget to services like food access and housing, as well as developing alternative safety programs and redistributing responsibilities to other agencies9. Canadian municipalities have also acted; Edmonton’s City Council voted to divert a planned increase to their police budget by $11 million towards social services and crime prevention10. Calgary’s police department proposed reallocating their resources in a report on anti-racism informed by public hearings, and council members recently voted for a motion to consider reducing the police budget by $20 million over two years (5% in total) and reallocating the money to build a community safety framework and improve racially and culturally appropriate services11, 12. In June, Halifax’s council voted to cancel the purchase of an expensive armoured police vehicle and distribute the money to initiatives 5 “Deadly Force: Fatal encounters with police in Canada, 2000-2020.” CBC News. Accessed November 1, 2020. https://newsinteractives. cbc.ca/fatalpoliceencounters/ 6 Craggs, Samantha. “Hamilton police response to Pride violence was ‘inadequate,’ says independent review.” CBC News. June 8, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/pride-1.5602856 7 Moro, Teviah. “Hamilton police launch criminal probs into ‘defund’ protest.” The Hamilton Spectator. July 25, 2020. https://www.thespec. com/news/hamilton-region/2020/07/25/hamilton-police-launch-criminal-probe-into-defund-protest.html 8 Bennett, Kelly. “Carding in Hamilton: 5 things we learned.” CBC News. July 25, 2015. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/ headlines/carding-in-hamilton-5-things-we-learned-1.3166501 9 Venkataramanan, Meena. “Austin City Council cuts police department budget by one-third, mainly through reorganizing some duties out from law enforcement oversight.” The Texas Tribune. August 13, 2020. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/13/austin-city-councilcut-police-budget-defund/ 10 Cook, Dustin. “Edmonton city council approves police reform motion, including $11M budget cut over two years.” Edmonton Journal.

July 6, 2020. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-city-council-approves-20-actions-for-police-service-reformincluding-11m-budget-cut-over-two-years 11 “The Calgary Police Service Commitment to Anti-Racism, Equity, And Inclusion.” Calgary Police Service. September 2020. https://www. scribd.com/document/475602368/The-Calgary-Police-Service-Commitment-to-Anti-Racism-Equity-And-Inclusion#download&from_ embed 12 Dippel, Scott. “City council motion seeks $20M cut from Calgary police budget.” CBC News. October 30th, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/ news/canada/calgary/city-council-police-budget-defund-1.5784695 13 Tutton, Michael. “Halifax cancels purchase of armoured vehicle for police, shifts money to anti-racism.” The Globe and Mail. June 9, 2020. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-halifax-cancels-purchase-of-armoured-vehicle-for-police-shifts-money

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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION fighting anti-Black racism13. With so many municipalities taking the lead to reduce and reallocate police funds, the MSU believes Hamilton’s Council should follow suit and call for a reduction to the police budget– which increased by 3.87% in 2020 and by 68% since 200414, 15.

Canadian municipalities have also acted; Edmonton’s City Council voted to divert a planned increase to their police budget by $11 million towards social services and crime prevention

There are a host of urgent issues in Hamilton that would benefit from more funding to social services and community supports. For example, many have recognized the city’s shortage of affordable housing as a crisis, with over 6, 200 people reported to be waiting for affordable housing in September 202016. Shelters like Good Shepherd Centres are also over-capacity and under-funded in Hamilton and have frequently appealed to the city for more funding17. Cutting the Hamilton Police Services budget by 20% would make $34.3 million available to end the underfunding of increasingly essential city services or to support crucial community non-profits and agencies such as Speqtrum, SACHA, and the Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre. Consequently, the MSU believes that reallocating 20% of the police budget to these areas would result in a City Budget that accurately reflects the values and pressing needs of Hamiltonians.

14 O’Reilly, Nicole. “Hamilton police budget by the numbers.” The Hamilton Spectator. July 2, 2020. https://www.thespec.com/news/ hamilton-region/2020/07/02/hamilton-police-budget-by-the-numbers.html#:~:text=The%20Hamilton%20Police%20Service’s%20 2020,per%20cent%20increase%20over%202019 15 Girt, Eric. “Service Implications of a 20% Budget Reduction.” September 3, 2020. Hamilton Police Services Board Meeting. Video, 2:02:15. https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=accd5769-d52e-466f-87ca-65e3a2072c96&Agenda=Agenda&lang =English&Item=38 16 Spectator Editorial. “Affordable housing crisis a top priority.” The Hamilton Spectator. September 26, 2020. https://www.thespec.com/ opinion/editorials/2020/09/26/affordable-housing-crisis-a-top-priority.html 17 Moro, Teviah. “Reality of Hamilton’s homelessness ‘crisis,’ more than just a bed crunch for shelters.” The Hamilton Spectator. Mach 9, 2019. https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2019/03/06/reality-of-hamilton-s-homelessness-crisis-more-than-just-a-bedcrunch-for-shelters.html

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TRANSPORTATION

CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE

Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should increase investment in cycling infrastructure to work towards a “minimum grid” across the city.

Active transportation improves our health and the health of our communities.

Implementing cycling infrastructure provides health, environmental, and economic benefits. Cycling can better one’s health by lowering blood pressure, increasing energy, and lowering stress levels1. There are also significant environmental benefits to promoting cycling, especially as an active transportation alternative to motor vehicles, including reduced carbon emissions and decreased air pollution and traffic congestion2. It is also widely recognized that cycling also benefits the local economy in many ways, perhaps more than other transportation modes3. Research in Toronto showed that protected bike lanes had a positive or neutral impact on downtown businesses4, while a study in New York showed found that the installation of bike lanes on one street increased retail sales across the board, including an increase of 49 per cent on one street5,6. Cycling also saves residents on transportation costs7,8. These benefits can only be enjoyed if cycling is supported by infrastructure that encourages residents to cycle, including safe bike lanes and available bike parking. With the wide array of benefits cycling provides it is essential that the city continues to take initiatives which support increasing the presence of cycling infrastructure within the city.

“Benefits of Cycling.” Walk + Roll Peel, 2016. http://www.walkandrollpeel.ca/cycling/benefits.htm Ibid, 1 3 Blondiau, Thomas, Bruno Van Zeebroeck, and Holger Haubold. “Economic Benefits of Increased Cycling.” ResearchGate, 2016. https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/304529942_Economic_Benefits_of_Increased_Cycling 4 Ibid, 3 5 Dunne, James. “5 Ways Bike Lanes Are Good for City Businesses | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, June 8, 2019. https:// www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954 6 Ibid, 5 7 Lee, Alison. “What is the economic contribution of cyclists compared to car drivers in inner suburban Melbourne’s shopping strinps?”

Masters of Urban Planning Final Thesis, 2008. http://colabradio.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Final_Thesis_Alison_Lee.pdf 8 Ibid, 5 1

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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents in cities across Ontario have been looking for safe active transportation and outdoor exercise, and many cities have responded by investing in cycling infrastructure. . . Toronto has added 1,850 new bicycles and 160 new stations to its existing bike-sharing network9. Toronto’s ActiveTO initiative, which looks to create a friendlier city for pedestrians and cyclists during the pandemic, has included closing some local streets, closing major streets adjacent to bike trails as they have become dangerously overcrowded, and implementing the largest expansion of Toronto’s bike network in one year10. In Mississauga, city councilors decided to allocate $1.3 million from other reserves to expanding the cycling network long-term, in consultation with Public Health and according to criteria including existing gaps and population density11. The pandemic has emphasized the benefits of active transportation and shown that there is a demand for increased cycling infrastructure Hamilton City Council should respond by investing in cycling infrastructure and encouraging active, sustainable transportation like other municipalities have.

In Mississauga, city councilors decided to allocate $1.3 million from other reserves to expanding the cycling network long-term. . .

Students in particular value convenient transportation: in the 2018 MSU Your City Survey, close to 60% of students indicated that a community that is easy to get around and does not have long commute times is very important to them (6 or 7 rating on a 7-point scale)12. Improving cycling infrastructure will improve student perception of Hamilton by making it easier to access school and work, thus improving the chances of students choosing to live in Hamilton after graduation. This retention of skilled graduates will be crucial for Hamilton’s economy long-term.

Students in particular value convenient transportation: in the 2018 MSU Your City Survey, close to 60% of students indicated that a community that is easy to get around and does not have long commute times is very important to them Fox, Chris. “Toronto Expands Bike Share Network as It Looks to Give Residents More Ways to Get around during Pandemic.” CP24.

CP24, June 9, 2020. https://www.cp24.com/toronto-expands-bike-share-network-as-it-looks-to-give-residents-more-ways-to-getaround-during-pandemic-1.4976066?cache= 10 Cyclingmag. “Toronto Cyclists Are Taking Advantage of the ActiveTO Initiative.” Canadian Cycling Magazine, May 17, 2020. https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/activeto/ 11 City of Mississauga. “City Adopts New Framework to Keep Pedestrians and Cyclists Moving Safely.” City of Mississauga, July 10, 2020. https://www.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/city-adopts-new-framework-to-keep-pedestrians-and-cyclists-moving-safely/ 12 Your City Survey 2018, McMaster Student Union. (Unpublished) 9

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The McMaster Students Union believes that the city should increase investment in cycling infrastructure and work towards filling existing gaps and implementing a “minimum grid” cycling network across Hamilton. Hamilton’s current bike share is one of the most successful bike share systems in North America13. It is currently used by 26,000 Hamiltonians, with 600 new users signing up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic14. Many cities have implemented cycling infrastructure into their long-term COVID-19 recovery plan, and Hamilton should follow suit. With the benefits cycling provides and the growing demand for cycling in Hamilton, the city should increase funding for cycling infrastructure to build a more sustainable, accessible and economically resilient city.

It is currently used by 26,000 Hamiltonians, with 600 new users signing up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Cox, Chelsea, and Jay Krause. “Creating Space During COVID-19.” Cycle Hamilton, May 15, 2020. https://www.cyclehamont.ca/rebalancestreets/ 14 Craggs, Samantha. “Hamilton’s Bike Share Program Is Back on the Streets | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, June 30, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/sobi-1.5632698 13

BIKE SHARE Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should ensure long-term funding of the Hamilton SoBi bike share system

Since SoBi Hamilton’s public bike share system began in 2014, it has been widely praised for its success. As of May 2020, the program had over 26,000 active members and ran an equity initiative to increase access for residents with financial barriers1. The future of SoBi was jeopardized when the city-contracted operator, Uber, terminated the program in May 20202. While City Council managed to arrange for another year of operation under a non-profit operator Hamilton Bike Share Inc. (HBSI) and funded by charitable donations, SoBi’s future beyond then is unclear2. Hamilton’s residents showed their commitment to SoBi through their participation in organized efforts to save the system, including a petition with over 9,000 signatures and $70, 000 raised in a fundraiser3, 4. Given SoBi’s demonstrated popularity, the McMaster Student Union believes the City of Hamilton should ensure long term funding of the bike share system and consider the option of using public funding if an adequate private operator cannot be found.

1 “Hamilton Bike Share”. City of Hamilton. Accessed October 30, 2020. https://www.hamilton.ca/streets-transportation/biking-cyclists/ hamilton-bike-share 2 Craggs, Samantha. “Hamilton’s bike share program is back on the streets.” CBC News. June 30, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/ canada/hamilton/sobi-1.5632698 3 “Save Bike Share in Hamilton.” Change.org, PBC. https://www.change.org/p/hamilton-city-council-save-bike-share-in-hamilton 4 “Save SoBi – Continue the bike share operations.” GoFundMe. https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-sobi-continue-the-bike-shareoperations?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION Hamilton residents showed their commitment to SoBi through . . . a petition with over 9,000 signatures and $70, 000 raised in a fundraiser.

Bike share has become a critical component of transportation in Hamilton. A 2019 SoBi membership survey found that 40% of respondents relied on SoBi to commute and 24% ran errands and attended meetings, meaning that the bikes were used for essential activities rather than just recreation; furthermore, almost 40% of respondents used SoBi to connect to regional (GO) or local (HSR) transit systems5. Losing bike share would consequently create a gap in Hamilton’s transit infrastructure. McMaster students especially depend on SoBi bikes for transportation, as shown in an early study that found hubs on campus to have the highest daily ridership6. Studies have found that people are more likely to cycle for transportation in cities with bikeshare systems, so SoBi directly advances Hamilton Council’s priority to encourage multi-modal transportation7.

Overall, Hamilton cannot afford to lose such a fundamental and beneficial piece of local transportation, so the City should find a long-term, sustainable funding solution for SoBi.

While ownership models for bike share systems vary significantly, the revenues from membership fees do not fully cover operating costs even in popular destinations like Chicago and Washington8. For smaller cities with fewer tourists, private funding like corporate sponsorships and advertisers are difficult to secure9. Most cities contribute some local funds to their bike share programs, including Vancouver, Montreal, Minneapolis, Washington, and Toronto, where $2.25 million was invested on bike share expansion just in 202010. A 2019 report by the North American Bike Share Association confirms this trend across the continent, finding that “Increasingly, transit agencies offer shared micromobility as part of their services”11. These cities recognize bike share as essential infrastructure that warrants investment, and Hamilton is uniquely positioned to follow suit with less risk given that the City already owns the equipment of bikes and stations, and that SoBi has an established positive reputation. Thus, the MSU feels that the Hamilton Council should commit municipal funding to maintain SoBi if necessary to ensure long-term stability.

5 “Hamilton’s SoBi Delivers on Key Bike Share Promises: User Engagement Highlights.” CivicPlan. May 27, 2019. https://civicplan.ca/ hamiltons-sobi-delivers-on-bike-share-promises-user-survey-highlights/ 6 Scott, Darren M. and Ciuro, Celenna. “What factors influence bike share ridership? An investigation of Hamilton, Ontario’s bike share hubs.” Travel Behaviour and Society 16, (2019): 50-58. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S2214367X18300188#page=9&zoom=100,50,340 7, 1 “Our Commitment to Our Community.” City of Hamilton. Last modified November 9, 2020. https://www.hamilton.ca/governmentinformation/trust-and-confidence-report/our-commitment-our-community 8 Beitsch, Rebecca. “Bike programs need subsidies to keep rolling.” USA TODAY. March 24, 2016. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/ nation/2016/03/24/bike-programs-need-subsidies-keep-rolling/82211674/ 9 DeMaoi, Paul. “Bike-sharing: History, Impact, Models of Provision, and Future.” Journal of Public Transportation 12, no. 4, (2009): 41-56. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1196&context=jpt 10 Smee, Michael. “Bike Share getting a big new cash infusion.” CBC News. January 14, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ bike-share-getting-a-big-new-cash-infusion-1.5426530 11 “Shared Micromobility: State of the Industry Report 2019.” North American Bikeshare Association. (2020): 12. https://nabsa.net/about/ industry/

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ACCESSIBILITY

SNOW REMOVAL

Recommendation: The City of Hamilton should fund a city-wide sidewalk snow removal service.

During the 2020 winter, the city received close to 2,500 complaints about snowcovered sidewalks and issued more than 900 cleanup orders by the end of February. A “Snow and Tell” social media campaign led by the Disability Justice Network of Ontario also brought attention to the dangerous conditions in the city caused by uncleared sidewalks2.

In February 2020 close to 20 delegates expressed their concerns to City Hall at Public Delegation Day by sharing stories of inaccessible walkways on the streets of Hamilton and the strong negative effects they had on residents, especially those who faced mobility issues3. In a recent survey, almost 20 percent of McMaster students said slippery sidewalks were one of their biggest safety concerns4.

Under the current system, the city only clears 397 kilometers of Hamilton’s 2,445 kilometers of the sidewalk5. Residents and business owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks that are connected to their properties within a 24-hour time frame or risk facing a penalty6. However, this system is clearly insufficient. It is unreasonable and ineffective to require McMaster students and Hamilton residents to remove snow through the current system of enforcement, especially when some residents are unable to do so, for example those who are physically impaired or elderly. Moreover, the Snow Angel volunteer program often serves as a “backup plan” for residents and faces a number of challenges, including an inability to match volunteers with all residents and overwhelming requests for assistance at times7.

1 The Hamilton Spectator, “Hamilton to Study Sidewalk Snow-Clearing amid Avalanche of Complaints,” thespec.com, February 28, 2019, https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9199953-hamilton-to-study-sidewalk-snow-clearing-amid-avalanche-of-complaints/ 2 “Hamilton Needs a City Council That Listens to Residents.” thespec.com, January 31, 2020. https://www.thespec.com/opinion/ contributors/2020/01/31/hamilton-needs-a-city-council-that-listens-to-residents.html 3 Mitchell, Don. “Hamilton Considers Plan for Clearing Snow from City Sidewalks at Taxpayers’ Expense.” Global News. Global News, February 12, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/6538079/hamilton-sidewalk-snow-removal-budget/ 4 Your City Survey 2018, McMaster Student Union. (Unpublished) 5 Best, John. “HAVE YOUR SAY ON SIDEWALK SNOW CLEARING: 3 WEEKS LEFT.” The Bay Observer, August 23, 2020. https:// bayobserver.ca/2020/08/23/have-your-say-on-sidewalk-snow-clearing-3-weeks-left/ 6 City of Hamilton. “Snow & Ice By-Law No. 03-296.” City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, December 9, 2014. https://www.hamilton.ca/ streets-transportation/streets-sidewalks/snow-clearing 7 Best, John. The Bay Observer, November 18, 2020. https://bayobserver.ca/2020/11/18/hamiltonians-willing-to-pay-for-snow-removal/

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Cleared sidewalks act as an essential transportation network to access schools, work and public spaces. They also connect residents to public transit, which is especially important for people with disabilities, the elderly, women, and children. The city should take a proactive approach by implementing a city-wide snow removal system which takes the needs of all residents into consideration.

Residents are calling for the city to clear sidewalks and recognize sidewalks as essential transportation connections. In the 2020 Engage Hamilton survey conducted by the City, 74.6% of respondents said improving city walkability in the winter should be a council priority, and 67 percent of respondents said that they definitely support a tax increase of $10-$258.

74.6% of respondents said improving city walkability in the winter should be a council priority, and 67 percent of respondents said that they definitely support a tax increase of $10-$25

As a Nov 2020 staff report points out, a number of other major Ontario municipalities already provide partial or complete snow-clearing service on sidewalks, including Guelph, Burlington, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, and Newmarket9. The City of Mississauga even added $3.1 million dollars to its snow clearing budget in 2019, recognizing that sidewalks are crucial to accessing buses10. This funding will go towards removing snow through maintenance services resulting in increased accessibility to bus stops, sidewalks, major roads, and more11. Hamilton should follow suit and address this issue of access and equity by funding a city-wide sidewalk snow removal service.

Maria Iqbal, “City Staff Recommend Pushing Sidewalk Snow Clearing Discussion to next Year’s Budget: Report,” The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 2020, https://www.thespec.com/news/council/2020/11/15/city-staff-recommend-pushing-sidewalk-snowclearing-discussion-to-next-years-budget-report.html 9 City of Hamilton, “GENERAL ISSUES COMMITTEE ADDENDUM,” February 28, 2019, https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/ FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=181817 10 Steve Cornwell, “Mississauga Shovels More Cash into Snow-Clearing Program,” thestar.com, July 25, 2019, https://www.thestar.com/ news/gta/2019/07/25/mississauga-shovels-more-cash-into-snow-clearing-program.html 11 Ibid, 10 8

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